


Silent Games

by Katlover98



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, No Beta, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Wild Whump, Wild-Centric, do not copy to another site, seriously I'm a sucker for Wild angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27857621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katlover98/pseuds/Katlover98
Summary: Time had just wanted a few minutes of quiet. He hadn't known the type of trauma silence could impose on one of the heroes.When playing the quiet game causes Wild angst.
Comments: 73
Kudos: 557





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, first time posting a Linked Universe fic. I joined the Zelda fandom in March and found Jojo's Linked Universe a month later. I love Wild angst so decided to write something. 
> 
> I got the idea after reading a fic of the boys playing the quiet game and Wild winning. I thought to myself, 'what if I add angst?' and this was born
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy

It all started with Time wanting a few minutes of peace.

“How about we play the quiet game?” Immediately the campsite descended into silence. Time almost sighed in relief. He didn’t know how lucky he was on the farm with Malon until he had to travel with eight other versions of himself arguing and chattering. 

“What you tired of us talking, Old Man,” Legend asked.

“What’s the quiet game,” Hyrule wondered out loud. Wild just shrugged his shoulders.

“The quiet game is a way parents shut their kids up for being obnoxious. Basically, Time is saying we’re getting on his nerves,” Warriors answered while pouting. 

“Sounds to me as if you’re scared you’ll lose,” Time couldn’t help but goad while smirking.

Warriors glared at him. 

“No, I don’t want to play this game,” Wild said while crossing his arms.

“Yeah, of course, you don’t want to play; you’re the worse one of all us. You’re always blabbering away.”

Wild glared at Twilight, “You don’t want me to talk. Is that what you’re saying?”

“A few minutes of silence from you wouldn’t be bad a thing,” Twilight answered.

Nobody noticed Wild’s face fall as they laughed. 

“Fine, what are the rules,” Legend asked.

“I still don’t want to play,” Wild said, “Can’t I just stay out of it?”

“Sure,” Legend answered. Wild’s hopes were dashed with the next sentence, “if you want to admit you’re a coward.”

Wild seemed to contemplate it for a few moments before giving a stiff nod. Legend smirked. If he had to play then, everyone had to.

“How about we make this interesting,” Legend asked while taking out his wallet.

It wasn’t until a few days later that Time and the rest of Links regretted their decision.

****

A pile of rupees was on the floor. The mix of purples, blues, and greens glittered away, taunting the group.

“So, we each put 100 rupees, the winner gets the 900 rupees,” Legend explained. Legend was excited and planned to win. He knew that, most likely, Wild would be the first one to crack. The kid was always talking. Then again, it could be Wind. Whatever, he knew that the real threats between him and the 900 rupees were Time, Twilight, and maybe Hyrule. Sky was a wild card. 

Okay, so four people were a threat. However, Legend was stubborn, and he loved rupees.

There’s no way he was gonna lose. 

****

Time didn’t know how the betting started, but if it helped keep the boys quiet for a while longer, well, he wasn’t complaining. It had already been a few hours, and so far, no one was relenting. Time was a bit surprised that both Wild and Wind had lasted those few hours. Usually, getting them to shut up was an issue. 

They set up camp in compatible silence. Time reveled in the quiet; he could actually hear his own thoughts. Yep, the silent game was definitely the best idea he had had in a while. 

****

Surprisingly, Twilight was the first one to crack, closely followed by Wind. Twilight tripped, and a curse passed his lips.

“Ha, you lose!” Wind taunted.

Twilight blinked at him, “You just lost, too, idiot.”

Wind blinked and took a second to process what had happened.

“Fuck!”

“Language,” yelled Time and Warriors at the same time.

“Ha, now you two lose,” both Warriors and Time blinked. 

“Well, damn,” Time said, “I lost at my own game.”

Warriors was muttering under his breath. He turned away from Wind just to come face-to-face with a smirking Legend.

Warriors glared, “It’s not funny.”

Legend’s smirk widened.

_Four down, four to go._

****

The game continued the next day. Twilight was impressed that the cub was still in the game. He had been certain that Wild would’ve lost by now.

“What are we having for breakfast, cub?”

Wild looked at his mentor from under his hood and shrugged. Twilight looked into the pot, saw some crepes, and then looked to Wild’s side and saw cut fruit. Twilight’s stomach grumbled in anticipation; his mouth was watering. The cub always knew how to make a good meal. 

Warriors came by a little while later and sat by Wild’s other side, yawning.

“Y’know, I think we’re all surprised that you’ve gone this long without talking, Wild. You’re always the chattiest of us all. Even to the point of annoyance,” Warriors joked. 

Wind, Twilight, and Warriors chuckled. They didn’t notice Wild’s hurt expression. 

****

Four was the next one to fall. 

“For the love of Hylia, shut up,” he muttered under his breath. Eight pairs of eyes looked at him.

“Nobody said anything,” Hyrule answered, looking concerned, “are you okay?”

_Dammit,_ Green thought, _I really wanted those rupees._

_Shut up,_ Vio quipped back.

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I’m fine. Sorry I made you lose, too.”

Hyrule blinked. Huh, he had forgotten about that. He shrugged, “Oh well! Now,” Hyrule put his hand on Four’s forehead, “are you sure you’re okay?”

****

One by one, the other Links lost until only Wild and Legend were left. Legend glared a bit. He could not believe that Wild was his final obstacle to his 900 rupees. The kid was always making noise, even humming while cooking. 

Whatever, it didn’t matter. Legend was going to win those rupees. There was no way he was gonna lose Wild. He perked up a little; getting Wild to lose should be easy. The kid must be going crazy after two days of making no noise. Yes, Legend just had to wait him out. 

A few hours later, Legend lost because he couldn’t help but insult the pretty boy when a bird pooped on him.

“Karma is a bitch, Legend,” Warriors gloated as Wild was given the rupees, “That’s what you get for making fun of me.”

Legend glared at Warriors; he was gonna find a way to get back at him.

****

Wild felt the invisible hand that had been choking him like a noose tighten a bit more day-by-day. The past two days of silence had been an eye-opener for him. It turned out, the rest of the group found him annoying. If he had known that they hadn’t liked his talking, he wouldn’t have done so much of it. 

Wild had felt such a deep connection with the other Heroes of Courage that he hadn’t thought they didn’t like him talking. Wild was a quiet person by nature; being with the group had been freeing because he hadn’t had to worry about being the stoic, strong person. He could be himself.

Or so he had thought.

The invisible hand choked tightened more as Time gave him the rupees. Legend glared at him, and Wild felt a stone settle on top of his chest. He should’ve stayed quiet from the beginning.

_The Hero should never show fear. He is only there to protect the people and the kingdom. Don’t let anyone down._

Wild heard those words, and even though there was no voice attached to them, he felt deep anxiety. A fear that he would disappoint whoever had uttered those words to him in the past.

“Congrats, cub. I didn’t think you could do it.”

Wild said nothing as he put the rupees away in the slate. He kept quiet and put his hood up.

Wild let the group’s chatter wash over him. He didn’t join the conversation.

****

It had been bad luck that Wild had noticed the monster before anyone else. He watched in silent horror as a bokoblin snuck up behind Hyrule. Wild raised his hand, opened his mouth to warn Hyrule, but no noise escaped his lips. His hands couldn’t sign a warning. 

Wild watched in silent horror as Hyrule fell to the ground.

****

Legend was livid. He could strangle Wild.

Legend had watched as Wild moved his hand, but he hadn’t had the decency to tell Hyrule to fucking _duck_ before the bokoblin had whacked Hyrule upside the head. Legend hadn’t noticed the bokoblin until he had followed Wild’s sight. Legend had had enough time to watch as Hyrule fell to the ground.

Thankfully, his yell of anger had been enough to draw attention. A single bokoblin hadn’t stood a chance against the group. 

Legend looked over Hyrule himself as he was the second most adept healer of the group. After making sure that Hyrule took a red potion, Legend turned toward Wild, ready to tear him a new one.

“What fuck was that?”

Wild had been fluttering on the fringes of the group. He had wanted to make sure Hyrule was okay, but he had felt guilty because he hadn’t been able to help his fellow explorer.

“Legend, what are you doing,” Twilight got between Wild and Legend.

“Stay out of this, farm boy. I saw him. He knew there was a monster hiding in the bushes, but instead of saying anything, he let Hyrule get hurt.”

“I’m fine, Legend, don’t worry about me.”

Legend glared at Twilight and went around him to get to Wild. He got him by his cloak and shook him.

“Answer me, why didn’t you say anything, you bastard?”

“Legend, that’s enough,” Time barked out while pulling him away from Wild. Legend pulled off Wild’s hood and stopped dead in his tracks. 

Tear tracks stained Wild’s scarred cheeks. His mouth was opening and closing without sounds coming out. It would have been comical to see Wild acting like a fish out of water if his eyes didn’t hold fear in them. Wild raised his hands again, but then they stilled before they fell to his side again.

“Cub, what’s the matter?”

Wild fell on his knees, he wrapped his arms around his torso, and silent screams escaped his mouth. 

****

A few hours later, the group had set up a campsite in a little cave they had found. The others were feeling guilty as Wild slept. 

He had broken down in the middle of the road, never making a sound even as he cried. His mouth had opened and closed in silent tears. It had taken a while to calm him down, and even as he walked by the others, the tears didn’t stop falling. 

“He hadn’t wanted to play,” Twilight whispered. 

“Hmm,” Time couldn’t help but watch the young man twisting and turning in his sleep. Wild was clearly in the throes of a nightmare. But, even in his sleep, even as the demons of his past were tormenting him, not a sound escaped Wild’s lips. 

All because Time had wanted a few minutes of silence. 

“We’re never playing the quiet game again,” Time said with conviction.

Wild’s mouth opened in a silent scream, and Time felt the guilt settle deep in his stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has commented and shown their support. When I first published this fic I never imagined I would get such a good response. As promised here is the second chapter. It kind of got out of hand and is a little longer than the first chapter. While I wanted to incorporate all the Links, I ended up only writing in the POV of four of them. 
> 
> Full disclaimer, I wrote this at 3 am and have not proofread it so there will be mistakes
> 
> Hopefully, this came out good and you guys enjoy

Legend felt like a dick. 

Wind was talking to Wild. The pirate’s hands were going all over the place as he told his story with gusto. Wild’s whole body shook with silent laughs. Legend felt a stab of guilt in his chest. If he hadn’t goaded Wild into playing that stupid game, Wild wouldn’t feel the need to stay quiet. Legend groaned and let his head hang back.

He wasn’t used to feeling guilty. Legend said what he wanted when he wanted; consequences be damned. However, that only meant that when he felt that accursed emotion, it hit him with the subtlety of a thousand bricks.

“What’s got you in a bad mood, Vet?” Legend looked up and glared at Warriors. The pretty boy always rubbed him the wrong way. He did not feel like dealing with a vain captain on top of his guilt.

“None of your business.”

Warriors face seemed to soften a bit. He looked between Legend and Wild and then sighed.

“It’s okay. I feel like shit, too,” Warriors sat by Legend and put his arm around Legend’s shoulder. Usually, Legend would’ve shaken him off and retorted with some witty response, but he didn’t have it in him at the moment.

“I shouldn’t have made fun of him.”

Warriors sighed, “It’s not your fault, Legend. You didn’t know this would happen.”

“He didn’t want to, and I made him.”

And that was the crux of the matter. Wild had already said ‘no’ and Legend couldn’t have left well enough alone. Legend knew that Time blamed himself, but he hadn’t been the one to goad Wild into playing.

“Y’know, as a captain in the army, I’ve done many things I regret. I’ve made decisions that keep me up at night and have made soldiers do things that have resulted in their injury...or worse. There are times when I think I deserve to be punished, to be shunned.”

Legend brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because feeling guilty isn’t going to help Wild. I know I said a few things to Wild that contributed to his present silence. And don’t get me wrong, I feel like shit for doing that but avoiding him isn’t gonna help but make him think he’s done something wrong.”

“I’m not avoiding him,” Legend protested. Warriors rose a perfectly manicured eyebrow. How did he get them to look so neat when they were traveling in the wilderness? When did he find the time? Stupid perfect eyebrows. Legend wanted to punch him.

“Okay, fine, I’m avoiding the kid! Happy now?”

Warriors sighed and took off the arm around Legend’s shoulder.

“Not talking to his is most likely causing him more harm than you talking to him. I may not have noticed his reaction when all this started, but I have to pay attention to the soldiers’ morale under me. He’s hurting because you don’t talk to him.”

Legend gave Warriors a look of doubt.

“He keeps giving you looks, Legend. He feels bad; talk to him.”

Warriors hit Legend’s back. It didn’t hurt, but it did take him by surprise, making Legend fall forward a little.

“Trust me; it’ll do you both some good.”

Legend breathed out through his nose, “Fine, I’ll talk to the kid. But if you ever hit me like that again, I’ll slap you so hard those pretty eyebrows will turn bushy.”

Warriors raised said eyebrows and smirked, “Why, Legend, I didn’t know you were paying so much attention to my looks. Thank you for the compliment.”

“Fuck off.”

Legend got up and sat by Wild. Legend felt a bit bad when Wild gave him a surprised look.

“What’s for dinner?”

Wild blinked before a huge smile graced his face. He answered the question and didn’t stop signing the whole time the food was cooking. His smile never faltered either. Maybe Warriors was right; he made a mistake, but he could fix it by just being there for the kid. 

That didn’t mean he was gonna admit it to Warriors. He had a big enough ego.

****

“It’s okay, cub. It’s just a bad dream.”

Twilight felt helpless as Wild gave a wordless scream in his sleep. Wild was no stranger to nightmares, usually having them almost every night. Twilight would always be alerted to Wild’s bad dreams when he heard Wild’s whimpers. 

Now, though, Twilight had lost that cue. 

Twilight took second shift most nights just to make sure he was there for Wild when the nightmares started. And when Time didn’t give him a shift ( _It’s not good to stay up every night, Twilight_ ), Twilight would sleep right next to Wild. His tossing and turning alerted Twilight of anything that could be amiss.

Twilight felt his conscious reprimanding him every time Wild laughed silently. 

He remembered when Wild had first joined the group. He had been quiet back then, too, choosing to sign instead of talking. He would still make other noises, though, unlike now. Twilight hadn’t known how much of a privilege, how much trust Wild had given them by just talking. 

_“You don’t want me to talk. Is that what you’re saying?”_ Wild had asked.

_“A few minutes of silence from you wouldn’t be bad a thing.”_ Twilight had answered.

Twilight would make this better.

****

They landed in a forest with red and orange leaves. They could see a strange tent over in the distance.

“Where are we,” Sky asked?

Hyrule shrugged. He had no idea.

Wild got in the middle of the group and started signing.

‘We’re in our Hyrule. That’s the East Akkala stable.’ 

Hyrule looked around and couldn’t help but feel his blood run anticipation. A new land to explore! Wild had told him that his Hyrule was bigger than the others, but Hyrule could have never imagined it was this big.

‘We’re in the Akkala region. We can rest there for the night, and then I can take out my horses so we could go to Castle Town to meet up with Zelda. I can’t wait to see how much progress they have made with restoring it.’

Hyrule looked at his surroundings; his feet were itching to leave the group and explore this new Hyrule. It looked so pretty. Hyrule looked up and saw that Wild was staring at him. A huge smile painted his face with a joyous and mischievous expression. 

Hyrule couldn’t help but return that smile. 

Wild and Hyrule were very much alike. They had both been alone in their journey; they loved to explore (‘or get lost’ as Legend liked to call it), and they both were usually silent. 

Hyrule’s smile almost fell. 

He couldn’t help but feel a bit bad. Legend yelled at Wild because Hyrule hadn’t been paying attention and got attacked. 

Wild continued to point out and explain different things about his home. The whole land seemed wild and untamed; Hyrule could see how this land reflected his friend. He could see why Wild was the way he was. They didn’t see anyone else on the road to the stable until they were close to it.

But Hyrule couldn’t compare this Hyrule to his own. While his Hyrule was full of despair and dead things, Wild’s Hyrule was still alive, and it thrived. Just the wildlife and trees told Hyrule that Wild’s land was still filled with hope and life. 

The group reached the stable at around lunchtime. Wild made them creamy meat soup with some freshly made bread on the side. Like always, Wild’s food was the best. 

After lunch, the group settled down. Time asked the people questions about their home, Wind was lazing under the shade of a tree, and Legend was buying things off a strange man wearing a huge backpack. Four was reading a book in the stable. 

Hyrule wondered how much trouble he would get into if he went to the weird, glowing blue hut when Wild walked up to him.

‘Hey, want to go with me to Akkala Ancient Lab Tech? I need new arrows, and I know you’re just itching to explore. Don’t worry; I already told Time and Twilight where we’re going. It’s just up that road, and it won’t take us even an hour to get there.’

“Sure, I would love to go with you,” Hyrule jumped at the opportunity. He knew that Wild wouldn’t begrudge him any chance to sate his curiosity.

‘Okay, let’s go.’

Wild and Hyrule waved goodbye to Time and Twilight, and up the path, they went. Wild went slow and answered Hyrule’s questions. He showed Hyrule every little nook and cranny and introduced him to little wooden creatures called Koroks.

Hyrule was enjoying himself so much, but he couldn’t help but keep an extra eye out for anything. He didn’t want Wild to get in trouble if Hyrule got hurt again.

They eventually reached their destination without a hitch. Though Wild did stop Hyrule for a moment or two as he stared down a weird machine before moving forward. Hyrule also kept an eye on it until it was out of his line of vision.

They stopped in front of a brick building that looked as if it was demolished so they could add a huge telescope on top of it. More broken machines laying around, and there was a weird furnace with a blue flame coming out of it. 

Hyrule was contemplating whether he should break the pots by the door when Wild caught his attention.

‘It’s not your fault that you got hurt.’

Hyrule blinked at the sudden serious expression Wild had. Hyrule then processed the words and almost started protesting.

Wild raised his hands to stop Hyrule, ‘It wasn’t your fault. Shit happens, and if I had been quick enough or brave enough to at least shout a warning, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Legend was right to yell at me.’

Hyrule blinked as the words caught up to him. Nope, he was gonna put a stop to the train of thought at that moment.

“Hey, wait a minute, if it wasn’t my fault, then it wasn’t yours either.”

Wild rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. Hyrule caught the look of guilt Wild was sporting.

“I’m serious! Like you said, shit happens, and sooner rather than later, we’re gonna get hurt. Besides, I didn’t die, and everyone took care of the problem, right?”

Wild nodded and then started signing, ‘but if I had just been quick enough—’

“Let me stop you right there, and let’s make a deal. I won’t blame myself if you stop blaming yourself. I say we give each other permission to stop feeling bad about what happened, and let’s move forward instead.”

“What happened was a good lesson to be aware of our surroundings. I had always been cautious in my journey, and I have gotten a bit too lax traveling with everyone. We should always be alert.”

Wild bit his lower lip while he contemplated Hyrule’s words. After a beat or two of no response, Wild looked up, nodded, and then said, ‘Okay, no more feeling guilty. But that goes for you, too.’

Hyrule smiled, “Of course, now, what was this about ancient arrows that can make monsters disappear?”

****

Time couldn’t believe it when he saw all the races of Hyrule working together to restore the Hylian seat of government. Where he came from, the races didn’t mix well. The only time he had seen the races working together was when all the sages had gotten together to seal away Ganondorf.

This Hyrule was different, though.

Gorons moved heavy things and cleared paths to help the Hylians build infrastructure. Zora went into waterways and cleared away any debris that got in the way. Rito, bird-like humanoids, patrolled the skies and gave warnings of any monsters that they spotted on the horizon while also telling the other races when they missed something. Gerudo patrolled the grounds and helped defend the burgeoning little town. 

Castle town had been destroyed, the land ravaged by a calamity, many had lost their lives. But this Hyrule had persevered. 

Wild’s Hyrule was tough and a survivalist, just like the hero who defended it. 

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?”

Time turned, and he saw a young blond woman walking up to him. 

Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were rumpled and dirty. Time saw dirt on her cheeks, and leaves and twigs were stuck in her hair. Her hands were hard and calloused. 

Queen Zelda.

Just like the land she ruled, this Zelda was tough but full of life. Unlike the other Zeldas he had met, Wild’s Zelda was not a stranger to hard work and seemed to thrive in the manual labor of rebuilding her kingdom. 

Queen Zelda inquisitively tilted her head, “Is something the matter?”

Time blinked, “No—I mean—no, nothing is the matter.”

“Hmm,” she hummed. Her eyes were sharp and ancient-looking. She seemed to be looking straight into Time’s soul. 

Though she looked to be no older than eighteen, Time had to remember that she had fought off a primal evil all by herself for 100 years. She could definitely be looking into Time’s beings and figuring out every faucet of what made Time himself.

“The view is like nothing I have ever seen. This Hyrule is beautiful.”

Queen Zelda gave a warm smile.

“This land has been through the worse disaster that could befall it, and yet, it still thrives. I am proud of its people for surviving and living for so long.”

Time smiled back. 

“May I ask you something, Sir Time?”

“Please, just Time, you don’t have to be so formal, your majesty.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I have to insist you drop all formalities with me, too. It’s just Zelda.”

Time smiled, “Very well, Zelda, what’s your question?”

“Why has my knight stopped talking?”

Time’s smile fell, and he couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck. A habit he picked up from Wild. Queen Zelda’s sharp gaze followed his movements. Time sighed. There was no point in putting it off.

“It’s my fault. I had wanted the boys to be quiet for a few minutes and proposed the quiet game. Wild hadn’t wanted to play, but I guess he felt pressured to do so after the boys teased him. The game lasted two days, and we hadn’t known the damage it was causing him until it was too late. It’s been a little over three weeks, and Wild just recently started signing.”

Time sighed. He was fully ready to be chewed out by Queen Zelda, so he was surprised when she gave a sad laugh instead.

“Oh, Link. I swear if I could go back in time to stop whoever told him that he couldn’t talk, I would and then proceed to smack them upside their head.”

Time looked up; he was a bit surprised that the Queen wasn’t blaming Time for Wild’s current state of silence.

Queen Zelda laughed, “Don’t give that look. It’s not your fault Link isn’t talking right now. I know you’re blaming yourself and your other incarnations are anything like you and Link. They’re probably doing the same.”

Time sighed. She wasn’t wrong.

“If you know one Link, you know them all.”

Time chuckled. While each incarnation of the hero had their own quirks and personality, many more similarities made them the Hero of Courage, Hylia’s chosen Hero.

“If I can ask you something, Quee—I mean, Zelda. Why is Wild so scared of talking? He doesn’t even make any noise when he’s asleep and having nightmares.

Every night when he heard Twilight comforting the cub while he remained silent hurt Time more than he ever thought possible. 

Zelda sighed.

“I don’t really know the specifics but, when I first met Link, he didn’t talk at all. At first, I was mad at him. Surely his silence meant he was judging me. I hadn’t awoken my powers, and he was this perfect, strong knight that had never struggled a day of his life. Here was the hero who drew the Sword of Evil’s Bane at twelve. He had never felt pressured in his life. Here he was, judging the Princess with the Blood of the Goddess who couldn’t awaken her powers.”

She gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“How wrong I had been. Slowly, he opened up to me. I was surprised the first time I heard him speak. His voice wasn’t strong and commanding. No, it was the voice of a scared teenager who had had too much pressure thrust onto him from a young age. Everyone had looked toward Link and saw nothing more than a tool to ease their troubles. The hero was here; surely, we could continue living our lives and let him take the responsibility of keeping the whole kingdom safe.”

She sighed, “We were children when the adults around us made us the saviors of Hyrule. Instead of being allowed to be a child, Link was given the responsibility of killing a primordial evil and keeping Hyrule safe.”

“I lashed out at Link when the responsibility got to me. That same responsibility muted Link: it turned him silent.”

Time contemplated the Queen’s words. He knew too well what responsibility could do to a child. It had turned Time into the cynical man he was today. It had almost destroyed him growing up. But at least he had Navi, no matter how short of a time he had had her. Who had been there for Wild during his journey?

They knew about Wild’s amnesia. To have nothing, not even your own past...to be thrust into saving a kingdom without companionship…

“I’m sorry,” Time whispered.

Zelda patted his shoulder in reassurance, “It’s not your fault. Besides, we survived, and we’re rebuilding. As long as we have life, we have hope.”

“Hmm, that is true. Still, I feel bad. If it hadn’t been for my need for silence, Wild wouldn’t have felt the need to be quiet.”

Zelda stared at the setting sun.

“It’s not your fault. You are allowed to want some peace and quiet, and you didn’t know that playing a little game would trigger Link. Besides, you didn’t do it with malicious intent, and you and the rest of the group are trying to fix it.”

“Still, if I had just,” Zelda cut him off.

“Enough of that, feeling guilty isn’t gonna do anything. Besides, Link is very perspective, and if he feels you guys are guilty, he is gonna feel the same and not talk. The longer he doesn’t talk, the guiltier you guys will feel, and it’ll be a circle that will keep feeding itself. So just, stop.”

Time thought about how he, Twilight, Warriors, and Legend kept walking on eggshells around Wild. Wild wasn’t an idiot. He would see that they were acting differently, and if what Zelda was saying was true (which he believed), that made Wild stay silent longer.

Time sighed, what a mess.

“Right now, there’s a voice in Link’s head yelling at him to stay silent. To be a hero and ignore his feelings. That voice is so loud that it has rendered him mute. We have to show him that it’s okay to be himself. He doesn’t have to be a hero all the time. It’s okay to feel, to laugh, to want things for himself. It’s okay to be selfish.”

The last ray of lights left, and the stars came out in all their splendor.

“We just have to be louder than that voice.”

Time let Zelda’s words sink in. They would be louder, and he would hear Wild’s hums again.

****

Time fell flat on his face. He should not have given in and tried to shield surf. But it had looked like so much fun. 

Now here he was with mud up his nose and grass in his mouth. There was a beat of silence, and then a loud, peeling laugh echoed through the small hills. 

Time looked up and stared in surprise as Wild laughed his head off.

The rest of the group were shocked for a few seconds before they too started laughing.

Time couldn’t help but join in. He never thought he would be so happy to have someone laughing at him but, here he was. 

He made sure to laugh louder than the rest of the boys. He would be louder than the voice in Wild’s head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as I was writing this chapter another idea came to me and I decided I'm gonna write one more chapter. That will involve touching upon Wild's trauma and how it started. So look forward to that
> 
> Thanks for reading


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read, commented, and left kudos. I hope you guys like this one, too. 
> 
> I also went back and edited the last two chapters to make them a bit more readable.

“Wake up, Link. Open your eyes.”

Link ignored the voice that was prodding him away from his dreams. He burrowed deeper into his warm blankets instead.

He heard a sigh, “C’mon, son, we have to get ready to leave. Don’t you remember we’re going to Castle Town today?”

Link groaned and got up. Today was his twelfth birthday, and his father had been trying to convince Link that he should go to Castle Town to see if he had what it took to become a knight.

Link didn’t want to.

Sure, he was good at fighting, and he could hold his own against full-grown adults with just about any weapons (including a tree branch), but Link didn’t want to fight. He wanted to stay in Hateno with his mother and younger sister.

He wanted to be a chef.

Link loved to cook! He loved watching people enjoy his food, and he got a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest every time his cooking was complemented.

Unfortunately, his father didn’t think Link should worry about ‘mundane’ things.

_“You come from a long line of Royal Guards and knights, Link. That is what you should be trying to aim for.”_ Link’s father would always say when Link said he didn’t want to be a knight.

Link knew that this would be his father’s last attempt to convince him to become a knight. Link just had to hold on with his ‘no’ for a few more days, and his father would leave him alone. Link got up; he just had to say ‘no’ a little while longer.

****

Link didn’t like Castle Town. It was too noisy, and there were too many people. He much preferred the small village he grew up in, Hateno. He’d even take Zora’s Domain. At least there was way more open space to do as he pleased there.

Castle Town, though, was too condensed. There weren’t many wild places to explore, and it felt as if nature couldn’t really exist in the town. No, Link definitely preferred Hateno. Just the forest by the little village was enough to keep Link occupied for days.

And, bonus points, he didn’t have to spend a huge amount of rupees if he wanted to cook anything. He could scavenge whatever he wanted for himself and his family.

“Keep your purse close, Link. There are thieves out.”

Link grimaced. Seriously, why would anyone want to live in Castle Town?

His father and Link rode into the castle and veered off toward the knights’ and guards’ quarters. Link watched without much interest as men and women fought with each other in mock duels. Some of the knights were using bows, and others were using dummies to improve their swordplay.

Link didn’t find any of that interesting.

“Captain Ewald,” Link’s father looked up when he heard his name, “it’s good to see you back in the capital.”

Link ignored the soldier talking to his father. Judging by the man’s uniform, he was high up in the food chain.

Mm, food. Link took out an apple and started munching on it, completely out of touch with what his father was saying. Link was surprised when his father handed him a wooden sword. He looked up at his father who was looking at Link expectedly.

“Go on, son, show Lieutenant Harold what you’re made of.”

Link hesitated for a second. He looked up. His father was smiling, his eyes full of anticipation. Link took hold of the sword. He just had to say ‘no’ for a few more days. Link felt a chill run down his spine as his father took him toward the training grounds.

****

“He is amazing, Ewald. Why haven’t you brought him sooner? He could’ve been a member of the Royal Guard by now with the way he fights!”

Link stopped drinking his water and hid behind a barrel. His father and Lieutenant Harold were talking about him. Link didn’t like it.

“I’ve tried to bring him earlier, but he’s stubborn. He keeps insisting he doesn’t want to be a knight, but, c’mon Harold, you’ve seen him. He’s too good to _not_ be a Knight of Hyrule!”

“Seriously? He doesn’t want to be a knight? With his skills, it would be a shame to let them go to waste. Let me talk to the boy. I’ll try to convince him.”

Link left, not wanting to hear more.

_Just a few more days._

****

Link woke to a voice calling out to him. He got up silently, not knowing who it was, but he felt compelled to follow it. In an almost trance-like state, Link followed the voice north. Even though he wanted to stop, Link kept walking. He felt as if he was in a dream.

_‘Come, Master, come,’_ the voice beckoned. So Link went.

He didn’t even hesitate as he entered a heavily fogged wood. He followed the voice. He had to get to that voice. Link didn’t know how long he had walked, but by the time he came to, the sun had come up.

_Master, I am here._

Link listened to the feminine voice devoid of emotions. He put his hands around the hilt of the sword and pulled.

His fate was now sealed.

****

“The hero isn’t allowed to be scared, Link.”

After Link had drawn the sword, the Tree that had guard it, the Deku Tree had woken up to tell him everything. Link was the chosen hero; he was meant to stop an evil that could destroy everything and everyone.

And Link was scared.

When Link had walked into the knights’ barracks, his father’s face had gone from worry to anger to a blank slate when he saw the sword that had been on Link’s back.

As soon as he saw the sword, Link’s father had marched him straight into the Sanctum in front of the King of Hyrule. Link had been knighted right there and then.

And Link had been scared.

Link had watched as his father turned from a loving but gruff man to a cold and calculating trainer and commander.

“You have to do better than that, Link. You can’t be slow when the Calamity hits. Everyone is depending on you. Hyrule, it’s citizens, the Princess, they will all die if you fail.”

Link had been forced to train day and night. He got a few hours of sleep and half a day to rest before his father would make him train more. He wasn’t allowed to cook anymore.

“The hero shouldn’t worry himself with such mundane things. That’s why the King pays the servants.”

Link received letters once a week from his mother and sister. He missed them. Link missed his little house in Hateno; he missed being free.

And he was scared.

Link’s father found him crying in a small room. Ewald looked at his son with disappointment filling his eyes.

“Why aren’t you training, Link? You don’t have time to be here, wallowing in tears.

Link gulped. He wanted his father’s comfort, “I’m scared, father.”

Ewald frowned at his son, “The hero isn’t allowed to be scared.”

Link’s tears fell harder. Ewald sighed, and Link felt a stone settle in the pit of his stomach.

_“The Hero should never show fear. He is only there to protect the people and the kingdom. Don’t let anyone down, Link.”_

****

Wild woke with tears streaming down his face. It took him a while to quiet his breathing. It was then that he noticed a hand on his shoulders. He looked up and saw Time’s and Twilight’s worried eyes on him.

‘I’m sorry, did I wake you?’ he signed.

“No cub, we hadn’t gone to bed yet.”

“Oh,” he whispered. He looked around the small room. Wild and the others had decided to go to Hateno after meeting with Zelda. There had been no reports of black blooded monsters, and the rest of the group wanted to see Wild’s home.

Wild had warned them they wouldn’t have their own beds like they would sleeping in the castle, but they had insisted. Wild suspected they had wanted to get away from the noise and chaos in Castle Town. He didn’t mind; he didn’t really like the noise either.

“You want to talk about it?”

Wild blinked. He had zoned out for a moment.

“No, I’m good,” he said out loud. Twilight and Time looked at each other.

“If you’re sure.”

Wild nodded, “Yeah, I just have to process what I remembered it was…” Wild took a deep breath.

‘It was a lot,’ he finished, signing the last part.

“Okay, just remember that we’re here for you, cub,” Twilight said. He put his hand around Wild’s neck and gave him a quick squeeze.

‘Thanks,’ he signed.

“I’m going back to sleep,” he answered out loud, “Good night.”

“Night, cub.”

Wild couldn’t go back to sleep after that. He stayed awake, listening to the snores of his brothers. He closed his eyes and couldn’t help but see his father’s face. It wasn't disappointment Wild had seen. 

All Wild saw now was the fear that had been deep in his father’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was gonna have way more action with a scene of the Yiga attacking Link's mom and sister and him being too scared to attack but it just didn't fit. I hope this came out good, though. Just so you know, I didn't proofread this chapter so there will be errors.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you think I should add another chapter of this fic of Wild getting better and talking again.


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